Menominee Indian 14th at sectional The Menominee Indian High School boys cross-country team took 14th at the WIAA Division 3 sectional Saturday in Athens. The Eagles were led by Brandon Reiter, who finished 17th overall with a time of 18 minutes, 20.8 seconds.

Led by Jessica Petruzates’ sixth-place finish, the Clintonville High School girls cross-country team won the WIAA Division 2 sectional Saturday in Waupaca. Wittenberg-Birnamwood took 12th. With the win, the Truckers will compete in Saturday’s WIAA state cross country meet at The Ridges Golf Course in Wisconsin Rapids. In the boys meet, Wittenberg-Birnamwood finished 14th, while Clintonville came in 15th. Clintonville was led by Travis Eanone.

The Shawano Community High School boys and girls cross-country teams missed qualifying for state at Saturday’s WIAA Division 1 sectional at Standing Rock Park in Stevens Point. Teagan Monfils paced the Hawks girls, finishing 12th with a time of 15 minutes, 55.7 seconds.

Sam Falck finished fourth to lead the Bonduel High School boys cross-country team to a sectional championship Saturday at the WIAA Division 3 sectional at Standing Rock Park in Stevens Point. BHS senior Mallory Mews finished seventh in the girls race to qualify for the state meet for the third time. “It feels awesome,” Falck said.

Expenditures will increase 13.5 percent for Oconto County in 2014, according to the county’s proposed budget scheduled for a hearing Thursday. The county proposes spending $48.2 million, $5.7 million more than 2013. Part of the increase is due to $3 million for the initial costs of a proposed law enforcement center.

For Ally Magnin, it took three days last winter to commit the FFA Creed to memory. Since then, she’s tried to commit the words to heart. The Oconto Falls High School sophomore will be the first student from the school to compete in the Creed Speaking Career Development Event this week at the national FFA convention.

A Gillett manufacturing building, closed in 2012, will reopen as a center for engineering excellence, according to Paul Ehrfurth, director of the Oconto County Economic Development Corporation. Ehrfurth said the project is a sign that the economic recession is reversing course. Wausaukee Composites in Gillett, makers of Fiberglas components, closed its East Main Street facility in September, displacing 45 workers.

The Oconto County Board charged ahead with its plan to build a law enforcement center in the middle of Oconto, snubbing an attempt to slow momentum on the project to consider alternative sites. The board on Thursday approved a six-part resolution that follows its September decision to build the center adjacent to the courthouse.

The Gillett School District annual meeting was quiet and businesslike Thursday night as school officials proposed a significant tax increase to residents. Superintendent Todd Carlson told the audience a 16 percent hike in the tax levy was needed to cover significant decreases in general state aid to the district.